Rock the vote

Uncommon Sense has been nominated for the "Best Special Needs Blog" award at Parents.com.  (See the pink box in the upper right hand corner?!)

I got the "You've been nominated!" email on Tuesday night, and we were in last place (78th).  Over the past 3 days, votes have been coming in, and we've climbed and climbed our way up to 5th place.  5th place!  Wow.

I can't help but smile at the irony (or maybe meant-to-be-ness) of the timing of this whole thing.  Less than 1 week before my nomination email arrived,  I was struggling to find a place for myself.  I spent a lot of time wandering my apartment in silence, and a good deal of it wondering, Should I use some of this time to try to write more?  I've been enjoying the past year of more serious blogging . . . maybe I should explore it further?  Or am I just deluding myself in thinking that this blog is anything more than a fancy way of talking to myself? 

And then I signed up for a writing class, and I'm trying to figure out how to blog better and write more, and then a lovely reader (thanks, Jo-Anne!) nominated us for a contest.   Things are happening.  There's forward motion here (or at least forward leanings) . . . and it really means a lot to me.   

So, if you could spare a minute, you should go vote.

BUT WAIT! 

Don't go yet!  I have to warn you . . .  when you click the button to vote, you will have to register with the site (free, of course, and you can uncheck the boxes so that you don't get emails from them) before you vote.

BUT WAIT!  (again)

Before you roll your eyes and sigh "Register?  (hmmph)  I don't have time for that.  I would have to, like, type in my whole name and email address?  Oh, brother.  Maybe some other time."  (Honestly, I feel you.  I hate registering to do stuff online.)  But, really, it's not so bad.  I promise.  And in case you need a little push in the voting direction . . . let me remind you of some of the highlights so far . . .

You may be a true friend of the blog if . . .

 . . . Maya helped you feel glamorous, because your license picture is defintiely better than hers.

 . . . you celebrated her first words with us, and loved listening to her actually speak!

 . . . you watched and clapped with us as she learned to step, then mini-walk, then stand up on her own, and then really walk.

 . . .you nodded along when I talked about the therapists, and the balance between therapies and life.

 . . . you wanted to give her a high five when she showed me that she had been secretly learning letters.

 . . . you've been to Amsterdam International, or if you read it and were able to better understand what the trip to Holland is like.

. . .  you watched Maya's first day of school video and felt proud right along with us.

. . . someone you love is undiagnosed, and you feel like now you have a friend (that's us!) who is going through the same struggle.

. . . you've ever been bored and gone back through the archives to unearth gems like this one. (seriously, check out the cuteness of baby Maya--I guarantee that you can't watch it without smiling)

If you laughed with us . . .

And shared in our frustration . . .

And worried with us . . .

(and even thought "What in the world is going on with this Kristi Yamaguchi stuff?!")


And maybe shed some tears along the way (happy ones, sad ones, reflective ones . . . as I've written I've shed them all, I think.)

If you check in here and think "Oh good!  A new post!" or "Get it together, Dana, it's been days since there's been an update!" . . .


If you love Maya, and root for her, and believe in her . . .


 . . . well, thank you. 


Thanks for joining in.  

I'm looking forward to more highlights and pictures, videos and stories, laughter and tears.  We'll do our best on this end to stay interesting and honest, to bring the good and the bad.  But one thing that would make the blog even more special for me is something that I can't do myself--I need your help.  I want that little badge that says "2011: Parents Best Special Needs Blog".  (It wouldn't actually magically make us "the best", I know, but it would be neat to be recognized.)  So take two minutes and vote.

 Please and thank you. 

(Voting closes Oct 15th.)